4 workers dead, 3 injured after being crushed by boxes of heavy glass panes

An accident at a glass manufacturing plant has left four workers dead and three injured. According to The Indian Express, a group of 10 workers were attempting to unload wooden boxes from a truck at the Indian Glass Solutions facility in Yewalewadi when the incident occurred. The boxes, which were filled with stacks of heavy glass panes, fell onto the workers, crushing several of them. A recent Hindustan Times article quotes Sameer Sheikh, a fire brigade official who was present at the scene. “While unloading, 2-3 boxes fell on the workers due to a broken belt. As a result, workers were trapped under glass boxes and died of injuries.’’ Sheikh also explained that fire officials had to use a crane to remove the debris and rescue the workers because the boxes were so heavy. 

The names of the deceased workers were shared in a Pukar News article. The victims include Amit Shivshankar Kumar (27), Vikas Sarju Prasad Gautam (23), Dharmendra Satyapal Kumar (40) and Pavan Ramchandra Kumar (44).

Shivraj Sanas for The Bridge Chronicle is reporting that police have already arrested five individuals for their role in the incident. Hussain Tayyab Ali Pithawala (38), the factory owner; Suresh alias Baban Dadu Chavan, a contractor; Sanjay Dhula Hirwe (34), the truck owner; Raju Dashrath Rasge (30), the truck driver; and two others have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder under the Indian Penal Code.

Inspector (crime) Mansing Patil told The Times of India that the investigation uncovered that safety and security measures had not been taken at the plant. Workers were not given quality gumboots, helmets, hand gloves, and a machine for offloading large boxes of glass.